Other VanOrden Posts

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Getting healthy has dominated my thoughts in recent
days.But today I find myself reflecting
on ten years of living with the added stress of the War on Terror.Some of my friends and family have been to
the Middle East fighting this war.So
far they are still all with us.

My son-in-law is a Captain in the Marines and has spent more
time helping with this war than I like to contemplate.His wife, our daughter Heather, has spent
many months alone with two of our grandsons, now three.Sometimes
she is able to come home so we can provide support while Captain Cruz is away,
but not always, so thank-goodness for cell phone and Skype video calls.

Our five children are in various stages of establishing a
life for themselves in a double dip recession made worse by our current federal
administration.Fortunately they all have
careers, or a job while finishing college.For me this struggle at home is a domestic battle between the freedom of
capitalism and the oppression of social progressivism.The first produces jobs and hope.The last brings stagnation, pessimism, and welfare
dependence.

Mr. Obama evidently thinks if he says the same things louder
and more forcefully in high profile gatherings like a Joint Session of Congress
that we will eventually see his point of view.It’s sad that he hasn’t seen the results of his past 2 ½ years in office
as the economy stays in peril.

One of the greatest things about America is that we can
recover relatively quickly once the freedom returns to dream for the
future.Businesses will invest again,
jobs will increase, and money will be available to get something done.Hope will be reestablished as the magic of
being American.The atmosphere for
growth will once again lead the world economy.Instead of trickle-up-poverty we will have steady improvement of the
standard of living in our country.

I look forward to the next ten years.Most of them will likely be governed by a
conservative mind-set.I am sure it will
be a better time for America.The
projects at ground-zero in New York will be completed.Like the former twin-towers, Jeannie and I
will go to NY to stand on the top and gaze off toward the Statue of Liberty and
think about how fortunate we are to be Americans where we have the freedom to
pursue life, liberty, and happiness.The
future is bright.